2023 NFL Draft Grades: Rating every first-round pick by value
By Kinnu Singh
2023 NFL Draft Grades: Rating every first-round pick by value
28. With the 28th overall pick, the Cincinnati Bengals select…
No. 19 in Top 50. Positional Ranking: 5. EDGE. C. player. Clemson. Myles Murphy. 56
Myles Murphy is an A+ player who should have been drafted much sooner, and with that alone, this would seem like an A pick.
But the Bengals just lost Hayden Hurst, and with this pick, they could have really made a difference by drafting Michael Mayer. After all, Mayer was the expected pick here if he was still available.
The departure of Jessie Bates III also left a gaping hole, and it’s a shame that Brian Branch fell out of the first round, especially when so many teams could have used an exceptional talent like Branch. As if this wasn’t enough, they could have also drafted Joey Porter Jr. to address cornerback needs.
The Bengals could have addressed more pressing needs with the above players, but instead, they did take the best edge rusher still available. Time will tell whether or not the Bengals were right to prioritize Murphy over other options, but on his own, Murphy is a stellar acquisition.
29. With the 29th overall pick, the New Orleans Saints select…
Clemson. Bryan Bresee. A. player. No. 21 in Top 50. Positional Ranking: 2. DT. 15
One of the most curious aspects of the first round is why players like Bryan Bresee and Nolan Smith fell to where they did, but as it stands, the Saints won the lottery with Bresee falling all the way to No. 29.
Bresee has the build and intuition to excel at defensive tackle in the NFL, and while he needs to sharpen his rush and block-shedding skills, he’s already a serious threat to the pocket who knows how to apply pressure.
The offense has been bolstered by the addition of Derek Carr, and with Bresee on defense, the Saints rebuild is trending in an even more positive direction.